Donald Trump Dismisses North Korea Nuclear Weapon Testing

"It won't happen!"

Donald Trump has repeatedly used Twitter to get his message out to the public both during and following his presidential campaign and, it seems, he’s also using the social media platform to send a message to foreign countries.

After North Korean leader Kim Jong-un declared that the “final stage in preparations” was underway for his country to test an intercontinental ballistic missile, Trump went on Twitter to downplay the claims. “North Korea just stated that it is in the final stages of developing a nuclear weapon capable of reaching parts of the U.S.,” he tweeted on Monday. “It won't happen!”

The New York Times reports that North Korea has tested several short- and medium-range missiles — many of which didn’t work properly — but hasn’t tested a long-range missile, which could hit Guam or the U.S.’s West Coast.

Trump then went after China, which borders North Korea, on Twitter. “China has been taking out massive amounts of money & wealth from the U.S. in totally one-sided trade, but won't help with North Korea. Nice!” he wrote.

While North Korean officials didn’t respond to the tweet, a spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed concern on Tuesday. “We hope that all sides avoid using words and actions that lead to escalating tensions,” spokesman, Geng Shuang, said at a regularly-scheduled news briefing, per the Times. The New York Times also reports that Geng said that China prefers to use negotiations to deal with nuclear weapons in North Korea, adding that China “has made tremendous efforts to promote a peaceful and effective solution to the North Korean nuclear issue.”